Editor’s note: The Journal-Courier has been working with a group of business and community leaders to shine a light on the importance of the sometimes behind-the-scenes work taking place to improve the present and build for the future of our hometown.
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It has been said either you deal with reality or you can be sure that the reality is going to deal with you.
This has never been more true than today when entire communities, businesses and people are forced into an ever-changing new reality. Taking that one step further, if small and mid-sized communities are to survive, they must face the new reality and find ways to build loyalty toward their hyper-local business base. Without that, they will struggle at best and slowly die in the worst-case scenario.
In the age of COVID-19, in which government mandated the shuttering of many small businesses while corporate and big box competitors were allowed to remain open, entire districts of small businesses have been devastated. With this being the case in many communities, it is time for communities to fight back and regain control of their destinies. One might ask, how is that done in today’s difficult business climate? With creativity.
City leaders needs to work with their chambers and their local media companies. They need to come up with creative programs that drive business to their Main Streets, programs that incentivize the local residents to spend their dollars with the hyper-local businesses. Now is the time when real leaders have the opportunity to step to plate and lead within their community.
In Appleton, Wisconsin, the downtown association got together and designed a T-shirt that said “Downtown Unites,” selling thousands at $10 each, reminding people to unite and support their local hyper-local business base. Many media companies around the country have put together plans allowing hyper-local businesses to advertise at very little cost, sometimes for free. They have done this through working with the community leaders and Chambers.
Many communities have closed roads to make it possible for local Main Street businesses to move outside onto the sidewalks and streets allowing for social distancing and fresh air. Cities and downtown districts need to be looking for ideas to have markets, dollar days and a host of other potential shopper attracting events that spur traffic. For a constant stream of ideas that may translate into your community, I would invite you to visit the Building Main Street, not Wall Street Facebook page as we add new ideas every week.
For those communities that really want to make a splash, there are programs out there that bring the products and services that might normally be found in big cities right to your doorstep. Does your community have their own App or website that is modeled after Groupon or other big market products? One thing that technology has done in recent years is make what was unthinkable for smaller markets just a few years ago very possible today.
I could go on and write pages of ideas that would work depending upon the market, but it is more important that you understand the urgency of your actions. COVID-19 has left communities with little room for error. How you react in the coming weeks and months may well determine the destiny of your community. Is your community on the titanic or is your community on a highway to success? Let it be the highway to success.
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John A. Newby can be reached at john@360MediaAlliance.net.
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August 01, 2020 at 04:18PM
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Business, community loyalty the same - Jacksonville Journal-Courier
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